Gatlinburg?
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 5,016
Likes: 277
From: East Tn Foot of The Dragon
Tourer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 284
Likes: 9
From: Louisville, Ky.
First time I went to Gatlinburg I swore I'd never go back. What a tourist trap, you even have to pay to park at Burger King! Then later I got thinking I'd give it another try. Turns out on average I/we've been back to Gatlinburg at least once a year for the last 30 years. When on the bike however I stay on the other side of the mountains on the North Carolina side and rarely go to Gatlinburg.....save those times for the car.
If you've never been to the area though it is something to see regardless of the number of wheels you're on. Foothills Pkwy. and the Smokey Mountain National Park are great rides, though depending on the time of year it is pretty crowded traffic wise. The Blue Ridge, Maggie Valley, the Dragontail and all the named rides are great but some of the best rides are ones no one talks about like NC 215 or NC 178. I've done a good bit of riding around the country and few places has riding as good and I've found none that is overall better.
We've stayed in cabins before down outside of Pigeon Forge and the amazing thing is how you can go a couple of miles off the hustle and bustle of the Parkway and feel like you a 100 miles out in the woods.
If you've never been to the area though it is something to see regardless of the number of wheels you're on. Foothills Pkwy. and the Smokey Mountain National Park are great rides, though depending on the time of year it is pretty crowded traffic wise. The Blue Ridge, Maggie Valley, the Dragontail and all the named rides are great but some of the best rides are ones no one talks about like NC 215 or NC 178. I've done a good bit of riding around the country and few places has riding as good and I've found none that is overall better.
We've stayed in cabins before down outside of Pigeon Forge and the amazing thing is how you can go a couple of miles off the hustle and bustle of the Parkway and feel like you a 100 miles out in the woods.
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 618
Likes: 3
From: Maryland
Road Captain
Joined: Sep 2011
Posts: 618
Likes: 3
From: Maryland
We go at least once a year on the bike. I would not recomend cades cove to any one on a Harley ever!!!! It took 4hrs of stop and go traffic with no way around so a few Aisian tourists could stop and look at deer. A lot of good roads out of Gatlinburg the blue ridge parkway is the best in my opinion. Watch the back roads where your cabin will be I hit a bear on my bike 5 years ago about an 600 yards from our cabin.
2nd Gear
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 6
Likes: 0
From: Arkansas
the ride through the park to Clingman's Dome ain't bad and the view is nice from this
if you don't mind a little walk uphill
if you don't mind a little walk uphill
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Tourer
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 284
Likes: 9
From: Louisville, Ky.
Yeah seeing a bear is an iffy thing. I've seen them on Foothills Pkwy. as well as other places around in the area. Course bears are nothing to fool with, especially on a bike. I've been sitting in traffic while people in cages stop and mess with bear cubs and I'm thinking here I sit out in the open and I'm sure Momma Bear is close by!
